Fruit and vegetable preserving apparatus



(No Medel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. H. MOISE. i

t FRUIT AND VBGETABLE PRESBRVINGAPPARATUe. i

No. 325,954. Patented Sept. 8, 1885'.

`N. PETERS, mumgnphur, wmmgmn, D. c,

` T all whom it may concern;

v figures and letters,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

LIONEL II., MOIsE, ror sAN EaANCisCO, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters VPatent No. 325,954, dated September 8, 1885.

A V `Application filed September 19, 1884. (No model.)

Be it known that I, LIONEL H. MoIsE, a I citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of Cali- I fornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit and Vegetable Preserving Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the drawings that accompany and form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines or apparatus for canning, bottling, or putting up fruit, vegetables, and other perishable matter in sealed receptacles to preserve them for future use; and it consists in certain construction and combination of parts for producing a machine or apparatus having several advantages and improved features in respect of simplicity, general eiiciency, ease of handling and operating, and cheapness of manufacture.

The following description fully explains the nature of these improvements over machines and apparatus heretofore used and the manner in which I proceed to construct an apparatus in accordance therewith.

Referringto the accompanying drawings by Figure l isan elevation of an apparatus constructed for general family use, or of suitable capacity for farmers and fruit-growers on a small scale. Fig. 2 is an end view of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan of the apparatus with the top removed. Fig. 4 illustrates on a smaller scale a style of apparatus of increased capacityproduced for factory use.

I construct a case or close steamer-like ves` sel of suitable size and material, depending on the capacity of the apparatus to be produced,

and in two parts or sections, of which the lower one, A, is the body, bottom, or stationary part, and the upper one, A l forms the removable top, head, or cover. Within the stationary part is placed a level platform or surface, B, set on a support, b, projecting from the sides of the case to form a shelf or door ever the space below. This surface is formed in a simple and non-expensive manner from a metal plate with perforations or openings to permit passage and circulation of the steam from the space below it up into the upper ation quickly carries away compartment, and is provided with a number of shallow rings or sockets, C, arranged in rows and suitably spaced to accommodate as manyjars or receptacles as practicable. Each ring forms a holder, conning thejar in place upon the platform and regulating the space between it and its adjacent jars.`

y The construct-ion I prefer to employ is that of au open ring secured at one end portion to the perforated iioor,and having the other end portion detached, so that it can spring in or out to change the diameter, and thus adjust itself to the jar. This construction affords aiirmlyholding socket, and is of considerable advantage in cases where the supporting-platform is adapted to be lifted out from the case with a load of jars; butin operating less extensively, and where economy of time is not a desideratum, the jars can be lifted out separately by hand, and then the supporting-plate does not require to be removable, and the sockets can be made of fixed rings of such size that .they will accommodate any variation in sizes of the jars.

This supporting-surface B is set close up to the line ofthe rim or top edge of the lower or stationary pai-tof the case, or at such point that the jars or receptacles when setin place will stand above the edge or rim of and will extend into the chamber or space formed by the upper removable part when it is brought down into place.

By this construction of case the jars are left exposed and standing out of the steam-space when the top is lifted, and the'act of raising4 up this deep cover at the end of each operthe steam from the jars, and thereby permits instant handling to remove them from the holders.

This feature is of great advantage in affording a ready unloading of the apparatus and a rapid refilling, for the body of steam and vapor is allowed to ascend and leave the jars free, and its removal is .likewise accelerated both by the form of the top or upper part and by its movement upward. This removable part of the case is fitted inside the rim of the lower stationary part, audits edge sets into the channel or recess d all around the margin of the perforated bottom. suiiiciently steam-tight all around the cover.

In a large apparatus, wherethe weight of This forms a joint Ico the top A would be considerable, I provide a chain and tackle for conveniently raising and moving it, and in such case the same means could be utilized for lifting up the perforated plate and removing the Whole charge of jars at once, after thev steaming operation, by simply attaching the liftingchains to rings or eyes provided at the four corners of the plate.

The operation of this apparatus is intended to be carried on either with steam directly supplied from a boiler or generator, or else by producing the steam from a body of water in the lower part of the case, the heat being obtained from a furnace or stove on which the apparatus is placed.

In carrying on operations extensively, as in factories and canning establish ments, I would construct the apparatus substantially as represented in Fig. 4 of the drawings, with connection of the stationary part of the case With a steam-supply through a suitable pipe, l?, and a discharge, q, to carry off the Water of condensation. The top or removable part, being of considerable size, would be handled by a device something likea crane with a hoistingtackle, as represented, such as could readily be devised by a mechanic. The steam-inlet would be provided with a detlector-plate, p, to keep the jars at and nearest the inlet from receiving the direct force of the incoming steam.

A machine of smaller capacity would generate its own steam, being supplied with Water, as required, through the top by means ot a pipe or hose; 0r, if a permanent fixture, it could be connected With a Water-supply by a pipe having a shut-off cock.

On the case I provide a steam-outlet, It, controlled by a valve, and also a steam-gage, S,

for regulating the pressure and heat during operation.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. 'Ihe combination,with the two-part steaming case 0r receptacle A Ai, of Which the parts or sections are separable on a substantially horizontal line and the one removable from the other, of the perforated floor or supporting-surface B, provided with sockets O, and placed Within one of said sections in such position with respect to the line of separation that when the parts 0r sections are separated the jars are exposed outside of the compartment for ready handling and removing, substantially as hereinbeforeV described.

2. The herein-described machine or apparat-us for steaming and otherwise treating fruit and like matter in close receptacles to preserve the same for future use, consisting of the stationary part or chamber A, having a platform or supporting-surface situated over the steam-generating space of said chamber and in close relation to the top edge or rim of said chamber, and the removable upper part or chamber, Ati", adapted to fit over and inclose the jars when placed on the supporting-surface, and when removed toeXpose the jars or receptacles to the atmosphere and insure their speedy cooling and the speedy disappearance of the steam and vapor, suitable connection ot' said apparatus being made with a steamsupply or with a heating-furnace.

3. The combination, with the stationary case A, having the perforated supporting-surface B, with jar-holders, the removable top or upper part, Adi, with steam-outlet R and steamgage S, and the channel or space d in the stationary part around the margin, of the perforated support to receive the rim of the removable part ofthe case, substantially as described.

LIONEL H. MOISE. [L s] Vitn esses E. E. OsBoRN, JN0. L. TAGGARD. 

